


Minor Arcana

by ArcanaMajor_OurLadyofThorns (Adi_Bug)



Category: Poison Princess - Fandom, The Arcana Chronicles - Kresley Cole
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-02-26 02:53:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2635358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adi_Bug/pseuds/ArcanaMajor_OurLadyofThorns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evie Greene discovers something that rocks her already shaken up world... She's pregnant. And it's Jack's. Barely able to feed herself, Evie struggles with what to do and if she should tell Jack. She knows she better do it soon, or he'll figure it out all on his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arcana Means Secrets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GreenThumbTarasova (kjoyp)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjoyp/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Fragrant Mystery: An Arcana Chronicles Fanfiction](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1965027) by [GreenThumbTarasova (kjoyp)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjoyp/pseuds/GreenThumbTarasova). 



> So this is actually sort of a spin off of Fragrant Mystery by GreenThumbTarasova (kjoyp). While reading her lovely fic, it occurred to me.... What if Evie got pregnant on the road? This is following her AU of "What if....?" so I suggest reading hers first and then coming to reread this, it will make much more sense. That being said... I plan on borrowing as little as I can from her story, so I don't steal it, but I do want everyone to know, the original idea was hers, not mine. I'm just borrowing the concept and writing a ficlet to go with it. (But really, it's an amazing story, go read it.)

**Day 235 A.F.**

_Evie_   
  


I knew that things wouldn't be the same after the Flash, but this was making me worried. I was late.  _Really_ late. I mean, yes, I was having sex with Jack and we were traveling in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and things were anything  _but_  normal, but the one thing I counted on was being on time every month.

Well, that, and dreams of the red witch. The dreams grew in ferocity as time had dragged on... And then they had stopped. Jack had silenced the dreams. I was allowed to sleep eight (or four) hours without waking up screaming. Instead, when with him, I dream of my oaks that once surrounded Haven.

The memory of being forced to suck energy from them made my skin itch and start to burn, making me squirm in my seat. The feeling of all that energy rushing through me made me shiver.

"Evie...  _Bébé,_ you okay, you?"

Hearing his voice snapped me out of my downward spiraling thoughts back into the room we were in. I turned to look up into his intense gray eyes, a tired smile on my face.

" _Ouais,_ I'm fine Jack, just thinking." That was technically true. My thoughts whirl pooled, circling the drain over one thought;  _pregnant_.

"You tinkin' pretty hard,  _ma belle._   _De quoi_?" What about? I paused, worrying my lip a little as I debated telling him. Jack noticed the motion, knew it meant I was debating keeping a secret from him and his soft gray eyes hardened along with his body. His anger was obvious and it upset me. I didn’t want to lie to him, but I wanted to know for sure what was wrong with me before I worried him even more. He didn’t need more stress.

"Fine, doan tell me. It'll be like it was den,  _peekôn_ ," he said, his voice tight and harsh. _Thorn._ His usual, condescending nickname for me slipped out as he stood, rigid, and turned from me. My heart lurched in my chest at the thought of his anger, especially now. I moved to go after him, my heart in my throat.

"Jack! Wait...." He didn't turn, but he stilled, waiting for me to speak. "I... Need something. Can we make it to a store?" It was an offering, my version of telling him that he’d know my secret soon, but he just needed to wait. _Be patient_ , I silently begged.

"Evangeline, you know dat's dangerous. We got all we could need, what's so important we go dere now?" Jack’s words were clipped, his eyes flicking around the room as if already anticipating the danger.

"I'd rather tell you after I know for sure,  _d’accord?_ " Reluctantly, and after some heated discussion, he agreed, moving back to his post at the door. I felt a pang in my chest as he turned away from me.

My secret rolled through my mind's eye in menacing script as I watched Jack. The tic in his jaw just went and went. Eventually, I moved towards the window to stare into the black.

We were staying the night in a two story brick house, one of the last ones in the neighborhood. It hadn't had running water or any food to source for our stocks, but it had a bed to sleep in, of which I gladly took part.

The two of us were upstairs, in the farthest room from the stairs. There was a balcony to my left, so we had a way out in case of Bagmen. They weren’t very smart in trying to make it up stairs. Jack had set up a mirror so he could watch for dangers. He was afraid of the human kind. I was afraid of the Arcana kind. He want to be able to see if anything decided to ascend the stairs while he was with me. 

_That seems kaput now, peekôn_ , the red witch whispered quietly. I forced her out of my mind, turning away from the still dark. Even six months after the Flash, there was an eerie still about the world. Sound traveled farther, unstopped by ambient noise. It made me restless. I knew it did the same to Jack, used to the constant sounds of the bayou.

I glanced over at him with a soft pang in my heart. I knew he missed his life as horrible as it had been. He liked things he was sure of, and the Flash had made liars and idiots of us all. I admired his physique, the one he’d earned from years of fishing and hunting and making his own. _And fighting_ , I reminded myself. He was honed and made for fighting. Jack was the ultimate fighter and protector, and he was _mine_.

He was leaning against the wall, his arms tensed as he stood vigilant watch. On his arm sat the quiver I'd made him, ten arrows stocked, one in the bow, just in case anything happens.

- _Arcana. Arsenal. Beware the lures! Heat of battle, Empress. Evie does not know heat of battle, does not have arsenal. Arcana means secrets, keep ours._ -Matthew's voice made me jump. He was driving me crazy with all this arsenal talk. I had enough ammo and my Jack, so my arsenal is well stocked. I ignored his call and continued to admire Jack.

- _Empress does not listen. He hurts when he helps._ \- He continued throwing decoder ring stuff at me and I continued to ignore his cryptic whispers and finally he got the hint and stopped. Radio silence. Finally.

I moved from the window to curl up on the bed, trying to relax, but my heart ached with fear and raced with excitement and lurched with dread, all at the same time. There was no way it could be possible... Jack had an entire pocket full of condoms, for this express purpose. To prevent this. I tried to remember what Mel had told me about pregnancy and I groaned internally when I forgot most of it. 

I missed that girl like an ache, like I missed my mom. I needed them the most right now. But they were on their way to Texas, to a new safe place. _Hopefully_. I needed them to be safe, more than I needed them by my side. With me, they were only ever in danger. The Lovers were on their way towards me, stopped only by their enormous numbers of three thousand. The thought of them catching up with us… Of getting a hold of Jack… I choked back a sob at the idea of the Lovers “loving Jack in their own way.”

As if he caught a whiff of my despair, Jack came to lay beside me, sitting against the headboard, crossbow within arms' reach. His strong arms pulled me into his lap, brushing his nose against my hair, inhaling deeply as he tightened his grip on me, before relaxing. His hands smoothed over my hair and back. Jack's entire demeanor screamed  _mine_ , as he pulled me closer still. His cheek rested against the top of my head, breathing deeply.

"Dat's new,  _fille_... Peony, is it?" I didn't answer his probing question, simply curling into him, my eyes drifting shut. He made me feel safe... As I started to fall asleep, a voice drifted through my mind.

- _Empress has a minor arcana in her hand..._ \- It was Matthew, but as usual, I knew nothing of his cryptic speech. Maybe I was making this up, panicking. _That was it_.... Just paranoid, like usual....

"Sleep,  _ma belle_. Den we goan find you what you need in da mornin'.  _Ouais?_ Den you can tell me what’s been boderin’ ya’. _"_ Jack's mantra ran through my mind,  _I got you_. And I knew he did.  _But to what extent?_  whispered the witch.  _Will he want you when he finds out what you're carrying?_  I ignored her voice, doing as Jack told me, sleeping, hoping he kept the voices and the witch away. Unfortunately, he could do nothing for my own malicious thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the text will be exactly from the book, and I'll put ahead of time which parts will be taken directly from the book, but mostly the story is mushed around and kinda vaguely along the same story line, but because this is a fanfic of a fanfic, it's gonna be a lot different. (Remember, this is a What If fic based off of Fragrant Mystery and Running, by kjyop)


	2. Bag of Tricks, Bag of Treats

**Day 236 A.F.**

 

Jack drove through the daily storms as I stared out the window, turning over Matthew's words from last night. I knew what the Major Arcana were, but what was a Minor Arcana? Was that the rest of the deck? The other 56 cards? Maybe he meant that we are all minors, even though we're Arcana. _God, I need_ answers. Gently I probed, reaching out for Matthew. I touched silence.

I tried to settle into the seat, though I was restless. I continually flipped through the iPod, never really settling on a song. My restlessness was reflected back onto Jack, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. He ran the thumb of his left hand over his knuckles, smoothing over the scars there. I knew he was thinking hard about something.

"Jack," I tried, only to receive a grunt in response. Frustrated, I yelled, throwing my hands up. I was surprised at my outburst. For three weeks, frustration had built and that grunt had pushed me past my limit. Jack jerked the car to a stop, turning to look at me with an intensity that made my heart drop. Quickly regaining what little composure I could manage, I glared at him.

"Listen, you’ll get to solve your puzzle soon enough. Don't think you're entitled to _anything_ just because I'm willingly giving myself to you. My secrets are my secrets until I decide otherwise. And remember, I can revoke my 'yes' at any time and leave you high and dry," my tone dripping the sugar and snide that I had patented.

As soon as I said it, though, I knew it wasn't true. Going a day without touching Jack was impossible. Revoking my 'yes' would just make us both miserable, but I knew that if I did, he would respect it. I needed to know that I could say no. I needed to know that I had _some_ power.

I hadn't realized my gaze had dropped while my thoughts drifted until Jack jerked my chin so I'd look into his intense eyes. The gray had turned stormy, the same colour as the clouds on my wall.

"Then I'll giving you something to say yes to,  _fille._ " His voice was a growl, which sent involuntary shivers through my body. His large hands reached over to unbuckle my seat belt and shoved his seat back in one fluid movement.

He jerked me into his lap, his mouth roughly slanting over mine in a heated kiss. Jack's rough hands moved under my shirt, tugging my bra far enough away so that he could tug at my nipples. I groaned quietly, arching into him. It made me wonder why I'd ever say no...

Then I remembered why. I started to pull away when Jack's hand slid down to cup me through my jeans. I gasped, crying out faintly. _Not fair_ … In retaliation, I leaned in, biting and sucking his neck as I ground my hips against his hand, my own hand reaching down to rub him hard. The brief shock of pleasure caused him to loosen his hold. I used that to my advantage, pulling away, slipping into my seat. I buckled my belt in a calm manner, although my heart was less so.

"Drive, bayou boy." A growl rumbled in his throat as he situated his jeans, glaring at me slightly. He took a moment to calm himself before roughly shifting the car back into drive and zooming off as fast as we could go.

"Not a boy, me," I heard him growl. I turned to face the window, a hand covering the smirk that glanced across my lips.

The first grocery store we found was a Walgreens. It looked promising enough... We entered the store and there sat the women's care section, untouched. I shook my head at men's fear of lady things. Jack went around to check for booby traps and I made a beeline for "Family Planning" while he was distracted. I scooped up four of those really nice pregnancy tests and shoved them in my bug out bag, turning around to baby vitamins next. I took all the ones left, hoping it'd be enough in case I actually was.

All that's left was to grab pads to make it look like that's what I came here for. Right as I was grabbing a large amount of pads, Jack made his way over.

"Really,  _fille_? Dat's what you hid from me?" My face blushed. To him, it would seem like embarrassment. To me, it was shame. This wasn't what I was hiding from him. What I was hiding was huge.  _Possibly hiding,_  I reminded myself. Who knew if I could actually birth children?

- _You have Life in your blood, creature. You bring life from death... Bringing life from life should be easy._ \- came Death's tight, chilling words. I hated to admit it, but he had a point.... There was a low chuckle from him before he faded out of my mind. I was glad when I knew he was gone.

Once we were done sourcing my "lady things", we made our way back to the car. The winds blew hard, scratching at my aviator sunglasses. My bandanna covered my mouth and nose, protecting from the majority of ash and soot and remains that floated about. Haven had been kept mostly clean by constant movement. But on the open road, it coated everything. Every night I tried my hardest to get it out of our clothes, but it was useless. Ash was everywhere.

"Stick to me like a shadow, you," Jack told me before we moved out into the storms. This had become Jack's favourite thing to say since we'd been out here. Not arguing, I slipped a finger through the back belt loop, holding tight. I felt his back relax some, but I knew he was still alert, looking for stray threats. We made it back to the car in working order, and I barely slid inside before the harsh wind slammed the door shut. Jack faired the same.

We tossed our sunglasses onto the dash, yanking our soot and dust covered bandannas down, me coughing slightly while Jack took a swig from his flask. I smiled faintly and shook my head at him. He tried to hand it to me and I started to take before I remembered my predicament. I shook my head firmly and Jack shrugged, taking another swig.

I turned towards the back seat, looking for something to eat before we pushed forward. It might be awhile before we got to eat again. We tried to ration our food as best we could. I ate very little, which angered Jack, but after not eating much since the Flash, it was just how I was.

I dug out two homemade granola bars, one of Rosa's attempts to use up all that we had left. They were old grain, dried and canned fruits, with the last bit of molasses from the cane. They were sticky as all hell, but delicious _and_ filling, which was the important part. I tossed one to Jack over my shoulder. I didn't hear a catch so I pulled back to look, thinking that we were in danger.

Turns out I was the one in danger.

Jack's eyes were hungry as he openly eyed my ass. I quickly sat down, face flushing.

A memory flashed through my head: Riding down the highway, top down, hair blowing through the wind,  _free_! It was the perfect morning after my summer at Child’s Last Chance. Then three motorcycles revved behind us, shattering my perfection. As I’d leaned over to give Brand a kiss, a lone biker had pulled up to pass. Jack. At the time, I'd thought of sinking into the seat, but instead I stared him down. He nodded at me, in appreciation, before he turned away, expertly avoiding a pothole and zooming on, two bikes following him. Little did I know that that lone biker would change my entire life, even after the Flash did.

I wonder what would've happened if I'd sunk into the seat, instead of staring down the intense Cajun… Apparently I voiced the question without realizing because Jack turned to me, his trademark smirk on his face. The Cajunland player.

"I'd've still come after you,  _fille_. One look was all it took and I was gone. Wanted to know what you tasted like, me." His voice had gone a little husky and I felt my body respond but I tried to keep myself in check and cleared my throat, turning to look out the window. Jack let out a low laugh, shoving half the granola in his mouth before turning the car on and driving off into the pushing winds. I smiled slightly, eating little bites of granola.

As Lady Luck seemed the like us today, the winds went with us instead of against on. Jack whooped as soon as he realized we were picking up speed over the human speed bumps

"Finally! We got some luck today, _fille_! Find us a  _bon_  place to stay tonight. Then I'll take care of you right." He looked at me briefly, a real smile on his face. It was contagious and I smiled back, happy that he was happy. _But he won't be if he finds out_... I shook my head faintly. I ground my teeth together in annoyance.

"Evie, is it dem voices again? I tought I shut dem out?" Jack glanced over at me, worry in his eyes. It eclipsed the happiness and guilt swept through me. I needed to learn to be unreadable, like Jack. Can’t wear my cards on my vest. Ha-ha.

"It's my own head that's doing it this time," I admitted. _Maybe I am crazy_... Sensing my turmoil, Jack grabbed my left hand tightly with his right, rubbing gentle circles on the back of it, making me relax. I looked into his eyes, knowing I’d find reassurance there, desperately needing it.

"I got you, no matter what,  _ouais_?" His eyes were intense, possessiveness and anger evident. I nodded, smiling faintly. Pain still sang through my veins at the thought of hurting him more.

" _Ouais_."

" _Bon_." He leaned in, quickly kissing my lips before turning back to continue our journey onward into the unknown.

* * *

We drove the rest of the day in comfortable silence, Jack's hand in mine. His warmth helped keep me calm, but my thoughts were less comfortable. They tumbled like stones, wearing down into more sand to be blown around with the daily ash and soot and remains.

How did you tell the man you'd only known a total of a month that you were pregnant with his kid in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where you could die at any moment at the hand of a Tarot card?

I sighed softly, wishing for my mother, and Mel. My heart ached to think they might be hurt because of the Lovers… Squeezing Jack's hand for comfort, I shifted to get more comfortable, hoping to sleep. Hope is what we need most of all…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the first chapter, I wrote some really great stuff, then I lost a portion of it, so I had to make it up again... Which is shitty. Here's a better chapter!


	3. Minor Alterations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually want this to be a long fic... Evie will tell Jack her sceret and the rest of the story is them trying to reach North Carolina with a pregnant Evie and a giant target on her growing belly. And if motivation continues... Returning to Haven's group with a baby.

Before nightfall, we found an old stone cathedral to stay in. Small stain glass windows, good for keeping Baggers and people out. The only windows big enough to fit people were at the top of the tower. Large, black circular windows. Jack had pulled around back, to keep us hidden from the main road, just in case. There was an add-on used for food-drive deliveries. A truck sat tossed to the side, tell-tale black marks streaking across the side. The white truck had become a zebra in a matter of hours. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. There had been food in there. Of course, it was useless now, completely rotten.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts as best as I could before turning back to my task at hand.

He had left me in the car to search the place for Bagmen or other squatters and to deem it safe enough for one night. I’d been told to stay put and check bug out bags and get ready for anything.

So, I obsessively looked through our packs, checking for supplies, distracting myself from the thought that Jack could die out there, and the voices that maliciously preyed on me while Jack was gone. My resolve has just hardened to go find him when Jack came around the corner. He had come back around the left side of the church, a satisfied look on his face. He snuck over to his side of the car, rapping on the window before opening the door He climbed in, taking a swig from his flash, ignoring my shriek as he almost induced a heart attack.

“Jack!” I reprimanded, scowling but also grinning at the same time.

"It's  _bon_. Safe for us tonight," he said, smiling faintly as he started the car, pulling into the loading area. He climbed out, forcing the door shut behind us. I met him on the outside of the car, our things for the night in my hands, his bag on his back. He locked the car, looping the keys around his neck.

“Dey goan have to kill me before dey get dese keys, _fille_. Plus, it’s easier to keep track of dem dis way,” he’d told me when I asked why he wore them like that. It made sense, but I never would have thought of it.

Together we wandered into the sanctuary of the cathedral, my finger in Jack's belt loop once again

"I'm goan find someting to use as P.E.W.S,  _ouais_? You make camp, den get out someting good to eat, Evie. Den I tink it'll be time for dessert." Jack winked before going to move the pews in front the main doors, looking for other things to use as an early warning system. Then it hit me.

"Don't churches like these have old relics and stuff?" Jack froze. I could see the gears turning in his head. Finally, something I’d thought of that he hadn’t.

" _Ouais_ , you're right,  _fille_. But, dey keep da treasures locked up. Only an altar boy would know where dey at," Jack said as he knelt on the dais. He pulled a small tool kit out of his bug out bag, a lock picking kit, and started work.

I wandered around, looking for alternate exits to block while he set to work. After finding a few and quickly covering them, I made my way back to where Jack was kneeling, a small hatch open beside him.

"If someone finds dis place, dey goan take de treasures and go. Dey not goan look around or question why dey layin' out here. Good ting too, 'cause dey goan make noise and dat noise goan attract dem baggers and den dey goan be screwed, for true.  _Ouais_ , good idea  _fille_." Jack walked into an antechamber, returning with a few more clanging treasures and went about placing them outside the sanctuary doors as P.E.W.S. I smiled, happy I wasn't  _bonne à rien_  anymore.

Late evening light shone through the cathedral's stain glass windows, whatever glass was left, casting colour over Jack's body as he moved around the front of the cathedral, shifting the pews to surround our little campsite, creating a ring of protection. I moved towards our bags, going to pull out the food we'd put in there for the night. I crouched down, digging through the bags, frowning slightly. The hairs on my neck stood up. Jack was watching me.

"Evie?" I turned, two cans of Rosa's gumbo in my hands, eyebrows raised. Jack's voice sounded awed and I wondered why. I was just removing gumbo from a bag. Even _I_ could do that.

" _Ouais_?" I watched as his lips turned up into a gentle smile, making me smile. He knelt beside me, his lips touching gently to mine. Jack removed the jars from my hand, pulling me to stand with him. Then he was moving me back towards the altar, his large hands covering my hips. I giggled, my hands moving into his hair, my fingers running through the silk cords.

Jack brushed his nose against my hair, inhaling deeply, murmuring in a husky tone, "You smell like honeysuckle..." I laughed quietly, moving my hips towards his, pulling his face back to mine, seeking a kiss. The kiss was tender and gentle, exactly what I needed right now. I pulled him closer, but when I felt a hardness pressing at me, I jerked back. Jack looked down at me, brows drawn in confusion.

"Evangeline? What's wrong,  _fille_?" His voice was gruff and confused. I could the hurt in his beautiful eyes, and though I wanted to wipe that look from his face, I still scrambled off the alter away from Jack, barely holding in tears.

"Now you smell like wisteria. Evangeline, what is wrong?" Damn him for knowing me so well… A tear slid down my cheek and I discreetly wiped it away, but it was futile. The waterworks had already started in full force.

"Jack, I- I have something to tell you..." I said, hesitation and tears choking me. Fear swelled through me and even I could smell the wisteria. I was afraid to look at him, afraid of his reaction. _You’re the one he should fear,_ the red witch told me, murderous glee in her voice. I shoved her out of my head, trying to keep myself as sane as possible.

When I didn’t finish my sentence, Jack gently forced me to turn towards him, his gray eyes soft as he ducked his head to look me in the eyes. His entire face was soft and gentle, a side of Jack I rarely got to see. My heart squeezed a little tighter, forming a lump in my throat.

"Whatever you tell me, I ain't goan to leave ya'. _Non_ , too far gone me." His lips turned up gently in a smile. The smile fell as he noticed I didn't return it, tears in my eyes, a lump in my throat. Concern consumed his face, his grip tightening on my arms.

“Tell me, Evie…” His voice was so gentle and fierce…

"Jack... I'm..." I whispered. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I looked directly into his eyes, my back straightening slightly, fear still keeping me frozen on the spot.

"Jack, I'm pregnant." His face went blank, paling slightly. I watched everything drain from his face; all animation and emotion that had been there as gone. My hard to read Jack just went absolutely foreign. "I think."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Wow, look at all this lovely feedbackto write! I don't have a computer currently so all my work is on my iPod, so please point out mistakes as you see them!
> 
> Thank you so much for reviewing!


	4. Mattic, Unexpected

"Jack? Please say something." After I'd told him how I'd missed my period and that's why we had to make a stop to source those products to test for a pregnancy, he'd not said a word. He sat in the front row of pews, rubbing the rosary between his fingers. Maybe he was afraid that our child would turn out to be a monster like me. Maybe they would have to fight in this wretched game...

It had been roughly half an hour. My stomach rumbled quietly and Jack glanced up, glaring, as if angry, but at what I couldn't tell. He stood and snatched up the jars of gumbo from beside me, stalking off to find a place to heat them up. I was still as useless in the kitchen as before, so Jack made all the preparations that I couldn't.

While I lamented my cooking skills, in a distant room, there was a solid thud and my heart raced with me as  I called out for Jack, finding him in a small kitchen. The gumbo jars sat on the floor near where I ran in. I found a hole in the wall, blood covering Jack's fists. Standing in front of the hole, emotion rolled off Jack in waves, his body heaving. Not thinking of myself, I stalked towards him, angry that I had to waste first aid on something that was minor, but it couldn't be helped. He could get an infection.

"Jackson, dammit!" I gently took his hands, fighting tears, both of anger and sadness. "Come on, let's get these bandaged up." I tugged him back to the center of the church, pulling out my first aid kit, kneeling in front of him, as he sat on a pew. I gently bandaged his knuckles, caressing his scars there. Once I was finished, I kissed each knuckle gently, still holding both his hands in mine.

" _Ma belle infirmière_ ," he mumbled, his voice husky. I smiled, glad to hear his voice again. I leaned up to kiss him, still on my knees between his large legs, his large arms encompassing me, holding me tight to him.

" _Fille_..." Jack said softly, pulling away. "If you are... _enceinte_ -" pregnant "-den my job just got harder. Why doan we turned around and find your famille. Once you give birth, we can go find ya' grand- _mère_." As touched as I was by is offer, I had more important things to do than to be waited on hand-and-foot for nine plus months. We had to get going _now_.

"Jack, I need to find my grandmother as soon as possible. I can't wait another year. I need answers. Puzzle pieces, remember? _Bébé ou pas_ ," -baby or not,- "we're going to North Carolina and getting answers. I'll go by myself if I have to." At this, Jack growled and held me tighter, his intense eyes flashing in anger and dominance.

"Dere'll be no such ting happenin', _fille_. If I wasn't lettin' you go alone before, I sure as hell ain't goan to now. _Compris_?" I nodded, internally smiling. I needed to know that he would stay by me, no matter what happened.

"Besides, dat means you goan be sweet on ole' Jack more dan usual." He grinned as I smacked his arm somewhat playfully. _Somewhat_.

"You obviously don't understand hormones," I scoffed, trying to hide my smile.

"I understand all I need to about my _fille_. Now, I goan to fix dat gumbo and you goan eat all of it. _Ouais_?" I rolled my eyes, now grinning.

" _Ouais_." He nodded with finality, heading off to warm up the soup. I started to make a place for us to sleep, to keep my hands busy. I thought of my mother and what she would think of this news. I mean, God, I'm only sixteen! Not even married and pregnant to a man I'd only known a total of a month. Doubt crept into my heart and I stilled.

_Matthew?_

- _Arsenal, Empress! The Arcana call_.- It was true, I could hear them in Jack's absence. As if on cue, I heard their whispers:

- _Has an Arcana ever gotten pregnant in a game?-_ This was a girl's voice, followed by _Red of tooth and claw!_ before the voice faded into the dull roar.

- _Too bad he's not Arcana, that baby would be feckin' powerful_.- That was the Irish boy, and like the girl, his call echoed out before he disappeared. _Eyes to the skies, lad. I strike from above!_

- _The Empress is in play_!- is what they all seemed to say over the message of my pregnancy ringing through a few Arcana.

- _Arsenal. Beware the lures, Empress_.- I took a deep breath, mentally steeling myself, ignoring his warning.

 _Matthew, I'm pregnant._ Radio silence. _Matthew?_

- _This is... Unexpected_.- That sent a chill through me. If the psychic said it was unexpected, it was something to be wary about. I turned my thoughts towards more productive things.

_What can you tell me about the other Arcana?_

- _Arsenal. Beware the lures_.- Okaaaay....

_What about Death?_

- _I am in his pocket so he is in my eyes._ -That made even less sense. I went to ask another question, but I smelled gumbo and I was starving. I cut our connection as Jack came around the corner, two mugs in his hands.

I admired him as he made his way towards me. He was about 6'4", with large arms, all hard muscle. His torso was tight and lean. Jack's hands were rough, but the rest of his skin was soft. His black hair hung past his chin now, brushing his shoulders. _I wonder what he'd look like if I pulled it back..._ I had few ponytail holders in my bag. I giggled at the thought.

"What's so funny, _fille_?"

"Nothing, Jack. I just thought of something."

"Tell me what you tinkin', _ma belle_. I want to know all 'bout you."

"I was just thinking about pulling up your hair with a ponytail," I giggled, unable to contain myself.

He sat next to me, rolling his eyes as he hands a piping hot mug over. I inhaled and moaned quietly.

"God, I miss Rosa." My tone is sad and he shifts closer, pulling me against him.

"We'll see dem soon, Evie, I promise." I smiled and blew across the mug before starting to eat. Jack and I kept the talk light for the most part. It was hard to do when he'd only seen death and destruction for six or more months and I saw visions of a possible past version of me killing people for fun.

Soon, Jack turned to the baby. It turned out he was excited. Maybe it was the thought of having something of his own. _That_ thought made me sad.

Jack’s voice was soft as he stroked my hair. "We goan have a  _cher tite fille" -_ a sweet little girl- "and she goan look just like you, but she goan be tough like me." He smirked as I rolled my eyes. Jack pulled me close and I snuggled onto him.

"You're stronger den people would tink, _fille_. And I know dat." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head as I closed my eyes.

"Sleep, _ma belle_. Everyting will be alright when you wake." Warm, curled in Jack's arms, I slowly drifted off, dreaming of a life I could have had.


	5. A Little Bit of Hormones Here, A Little Bit of Poison There...

**Day 237 A.F.**

 

_The room is filled  with  blurry people, all of them chattering and excited, none of them comprehensible. In the middle of, an older woman holds a small baby wrapped in a green blanket. "_

_Look at my little Empress... You're very lucky, little one... Soon it will be your turn and you will live forever..." The crowd moves forward, each of them saying something to the baby, who stares at them with wide cornflower blue eyes, uncomprehending._

_The room empties as everyone says their blessings, leaving only the older woman and the baby. She leans down to kiss the baby's forehead, smiling gently._

_"I'll teach you everything you need to know, Empress--" A younger woman walks in, a frown on her face, arms crossed over her chest._

_"Mother, what are you doing? Who were those people?"_

_"Just people who wanted to see the new baby, that's all."  She gave a secret smile and handed the baby to the younger woman._

_"All will be well, little Empress. Just wait sixteen years and then you'll be in power," she whispered as the baby left with her mother. Before the mother turned a corner, the tiny infant giggled._

I woke up to a soft kiss in my forehead, strong arms pulling me closer.

"Evangeline, come on, ma belle. Time to wake up. We got to get goan." I stirred and rolled over, curling into him more. He laughed lowly and I felt it under my ear and I smiled, liking the way it rumbled. I scooched closer, not wanting to move from this spot. Ever.

Unfortunately, our cuddle was broken by the sudden urge to pee.

"Jack, where can I use the restroom?" I hesitated, remembering the lack of running water.

"Da batroom is fine, _fille_. No running water, but it works fine for one night. Go on." I gave a embarrassed grin, grabbed my bug out bag and half ran towards where he pointed.

Once I was sequestered in the bathroom, I dug to find the pregnancy tests from yesterday. I pulled one out, skimmed the directions and then went pee. I paced the small bathroom, waiting for results. I gnawed my lip nervously, staring at it sitting on the counter.

After about five minutes, Jack knocked.

"Fille, everyting _bien_?" It's almost as if his voice was magic; the test result came up and I blanched.

I went to answer but all that came out was a choked sound. Tears welled, even though I had expected this result.

At my lack of response, Jack burst in, crossbow at the ready. His sharp eyes quickly scanned the small area, falling on the offending stick on the counter. Then his eyes moved to me. He crossed the small floor, his arms surrounding me. Once I was caged in, the first sob tore from my throat.

Instead of asking me not to cry, Jack just rocked me back and forth. I clung to him, crying harder, when something hit my head and I looked up in surprise.

 _My Jack was crying_...

Two tear tracks stained his face, similar to mine, though his eyes weren't red and puffy and his nose stayed in place while mine ran.

I laughed slightly, reaching up to cup his face, wiping his tears away. I stood on my toes, reaching to give him a _bec doux_.

"I love you, Jackson Deveaux." He smiled gently, leaning down to kiss me fully.

"I love you too, Evangeline Greene," he rumbled, squeezing me tightly.

* * *

Over the next few hours, our car ride was silent. I chewed my lip, thinking over our situation.

I don't know what ran through Jack's mind, but he rubbed the scars on his knuckles over and over, almost without thinking.

He turned his head and I jumped slightly, realizing I'd been staring at him for a while.

" _Quoi_ , Evie?"

"Oh, I was just thinking and then I thought about what you were thinking and I noticed your scars and then I think I spaced out." I smiled nervously, my teeth returning to my lip. Jack let out a low laugh and I relaxed.

" _Fille_ , all you had to do was ask."

"Then what are you thinking so hard about?"

"You. Us. Dat _bébé_ you growin' inside. How I'm goan to protect you now dat you're a target." He didn't know I was already a target, didn't know a thing about this game. Panic started to well inside me but I tamped it down. Rememberig his words, love swirled through me, with a touch of tenderness.

"You aren't upset?" I whispered quietly, still reeling from our eventful day. Jack briefly looked over at me, incredulous.

"Evie, what makes you tink I'm goan be mad at you for someting we're both responsible for?"

"Well- I-... I'm not sure. That's what guys used to say and that's what I'm used to hearing even after the Flash and--...."

"Evangeline, am I like any of dose boys? Hm? I didn't tink so. Dis   _bébé_ is both our responsibility and we both goan to protect it. _Ouais_?" He  gave me a pointed look and then turned back to our speed bump filled road. I blushed and looked out the windows, happy that he wasn't going to ditch me.

"I love you, Jack," I said as I turned back to him, grabbing his hand, lacing my fingers through his. An easy grin slid across his face and he squeezed my hand gently.

"I love you too, _ma belle_."

I relaxed and our car ride returned to silence, this time comfortable, the steady bumps of dead bodies slowly rocking me to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, I wrote that I love you thing twice.... Eh, still good!
> 
> BEHOLD THE BRINGER OF DOUBT! -- soon ;3


	6. Et Puis Quoi? (And Then What?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm searching for baby names for this new Jack and Evie baby, and I wanted your input! Comment on this chapter what you would like the baby's name to be! (It is a girl, btws. I have a theory that their family line can ONLY have girls. And that their husbands die so that their kids are only children and lonely and so that Arcana Secrets stay Arcana Secrets. But I'm not killing Jack. Ever.)
> 
> Current names for consideration: 
> 
> Caia Hope  
> Edit 12-15-14
> 
> Caia Hope is the name! I like it best so there it is. :3

**_Jack_ **

 

Evie slept beside me in the car, her hand closed around mine. _Ma belle_ smelt of lavender, meaning she's deep asleep. It gave me some time to think over our current situation.

Pregnant... _Ma fille_ was pregnant. With _my_  child. The instinct to possess, to protect, rose through me and I looked over at Evie. There was a gentle smile on her lips and I ached to kiss them, but I knew that she needed the sleep, so I turned back to watch the boring road, my heart swelling in my chest.

I'd never had much to call my own, but now I had a real _famille_ , a _fille_ that loved me and genuinely cared about me and now a real _b_ _éb_ _é_ on the way, one that was mine all the way. I knew this beautiful gift came a great price. I had to protect Evangeline even more, because _Dieu_ knows that she's headstrong now but just wait until that baby starts kicking in with all its hormone imbalances. _Ouais_ , nothing was going to get in my way of happiness. Not even Death himself could separate Evie, this _b_ _éb_ _é_ and I. 

Beside me, Evie stirred and blinked slowly.

"Where are we?" she asked groggily.

"I doan know, fille. Start looking for a place to stay. It'll be dark soon and I wan' you safe." Surprisingly, she did so without arguing. Her face turned towards the window, eyes scanning the twilight for a place to stay. She'd obviously found a place because she squeaked and turned to look at me.

"Jack! Look!" I turned to see Evie pointing at a large apartment building, obviously in the rich district.

"Evie..."

"All the exits are fire escapes, stairs make for great P.E.W.s and it has a penthouse. Please, Jack?" And then she looked at me with those big blue eyes that were filled with love and I crumbled.

"Fine. But you goan to watch my six, _ouais_?"

" _Ouais_!" she said excitedly, smelling of orange blossoms and sweet olive. I smiled, looking over at her. Evie stared out the window, her eyes alight with... Something. I wondered if _ma fille_ had an idea.

I wove my way down to the apartment building, searching for a place to hide the car. The apartment Evie had picked had a garage that wound underneath, so I followed the concrete pillars around until I found a place I deemed safe for the car to hide that was easily reachable. I climbed out, prowling around and checking the stairs before going back to grab Evie.

While I'd been away, she'd packed food along with our bug out bags. My eyes roved over her, a feeling of pride sweep through me. She had gotten cold in the car earlier, so I'd handed her my leather jacket and she hadn't taken it off yet. _Ma fille_ looked mighty _jolie_ in that jacket.... And we had a _bon_ place to stay tonight.... I could have me a piece of her tonight. More than I had been getting recently, due to the driving through the nights.

Our stops had increased so Evie could do her business. _Nausée matinale—_ morning sickness—had gripped Evie, confirming she had _mon bébé_ growing inside. It had made her a bit happier, that she was pregnant, but _Dieu_ knew how long that would last.

She climbed out and stretched, the shirt riding up to show the soft underside of her belly. It had grown slightly, but it looked only like she had gained weight. I moved towards her, wrapping my arms around her, swaying her gently.

"Ready, _ma belle_?" I leaned down to kiss her gently, smiling when her body relaxed.

 _"Ouais_ , let's go." She stepped behind me, finger looped in my belt loop, eyes wary. Lionel and his _père_ had taught her well. Baggers had been relentless getting out of Louisiana and _ma fille_ had shot right along side me as we fought through the thickets to reach safety. Though _ma belle_ had toughened, Evie wasn't all hard grit. Whenever we passed a town, she looked eagerly out the window, looking for people. It hurt me to tell her, but I had to.

"Evie, _bébé_ , no one goan be wavin' at you anytime soon. Not everyone is like folks at Haven. Everyone else had to scrounge for food, mourn their losses and kill others if necessary." I thought of a cadet in our militia and a light shudder went through me. "And if they got a hold of you, Evangeline..." A faint growl had escaped my throat and my hands tightened on the crossbow. 

"Why did this happen?" she whispered.

"Because the world ended, fille. Not everyone had a kid like you to prepare for it."

"I meant why did the world end."

"I doan know, fille." I had hoped her _grandmère_ would be able to tell us. I needed to know so I could protect _ma fille_ and our  _bébé._ Evie had said that she had started to remember things about her grandmother, the things she said. Every night, we'd lay out her Tarot cards, hoping to find new clues in them. Sometimes Evie contacted Matthew and he helped us as best as he could. _Ma belle fille_ was terrible at deciphering _les énigme_. Lucky for her, I know a thing or two about riddles and the deck. You doan grow up in the Bayou without picking up on a few things.

Evie pressed closer to me as we made it up the stairwell as my mind split into thirds: one third to focus on Evie pressed closed to me, no smell commme une fleur coming from her, a second third to tear apart her  _grandmère's_ riddles. The last third was dedicated to our survival, watching out for Baggers and anything worse, like humans or Arcana.

We made it safely up every flight of stairs, only taking breaks when Evie needed it. I almost threatened to carry her, when she she almost passed out. She'd told me she didn't need a break, so we went on. On the tenth flour, she stumbled. I caught her before anything could happen, but it scared me enough to make her tell me when she needed to stop. Still, I heard her mumble something about "being a  _bonne a rien babelle_." When her words finally caught up with my brain, I turned to stop her in front of the penthouse door.

" _Bébé_ , you ain't useless no more.... You got a new  _bébé_ on the way and tha's hard work. So you keep workin' on our _fils ou fille_ , and all will be well." I gave her a gentle smile and pulled her to me. "We goan do dis ting together, Evangeline Greene. _Sans doute_." Without a doubt. "Now, let's go see what we can find." Her eyes lit up in excitement as a I flashed a wicked grin, my teeth showing. I watched her eyes drop to my mouth and the excitement that filled her eyes was a completely different kind. I knew that we were gonna have all kinds of fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone cares.... I decided which county Evie and Jack are from. Evie is from the Iberville Parish and Jack from Saint Martin Parish. . . . . It took a lot of time, but you know what, it got done, dammit. So now I have an approximate location with an approximate time in normal days, so multiply that by like ten and that'll be the rate at which they reach North Carolina.
> 
> Edit 3-1-15: It will take them 17 hours to get from Iberville Parish to a retirement home (that I randomly picked) in North Carolina. Now, that's with a car. They lose the car about 1/3 into Mississippi, I decided, meaning they had to walk the rest until they found the bike, but then got detoured to Huntsville, Alabama for Matto, and then their trek up through the Appalachian Mountains. So..... It's been, almost what? Six-ish months since Evie left with Jack in canon? They left at Day 220 A.F., and Dead of Winter marks 1 year A.F., soooo...... Yeah, about sixish months. :3 Logic is great.


	7. Behold the Bringer of Doubt!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12/17/15 Guess who started writing this again! I'm gonna be rereading the first book, obviously skipping over some parts because I feel they are unnecessary, and to further the story. I'll make brief mentions if they're important.
> 
> Side note: How will the the Hierophant's people react to her being pregnant? That's after she meets up with Finn, right? *furiously rereads PP, EK, DOW)
> 
> Extra Side Note: This chapter starts taking parts exactly from the book, but in a different context, and Jack and Evie's fight after the pool is cut for obvs reason (they're already fucking)
> 
> 12-26-15 So I did some math and, it's all relative, but this day according to me (Day 255) is May 3rd, 2013 (since the story was published in 2012, that's when I'm assuming the story is taking place considering she still had an iPod instead of an iPhone). Also, Evie is 5 weeks pregnant.

**Day 255 A.F.  
** **_Evie_ **

That day, the winds died down early, allowing us a longer time to drive than usual. After I'd gone through our supplies  _twice_ , talked to Jack about my pregnancy and discussed baby names and tried to ignore the voices in my head, I was exhausted.

"Go to sleep,  _bébé._ I'll wake you when I need you." Ignoring his allowance of me to sleep, I lay my head on his right arm, lacing my right hand through his, curling up and quickly falling asleep.

The moon shone brightly as we drove through Mississippi. _Too brightly_ , my mind whispered. As I held Jack's hand, Matthew called to me.

- _Beware the lures, Empress. The Moon rises._ \- More decoder ring stuff that made me grind my teeth and tense my body. I felt my nose start to tingle and I tilted my head down.

"Evie? _Bébé_ , what's wrong?" Jack quickly glanced away from the road before looking at me completely, 

"Matthew is throwing cryptic shit at me and I don't know what to make of it."

"You know I'll help you. All you have to do is ask." I turned to face Jack, my brow furrowed.

"He says "Beware the lures. The Moon rises."

* * *

Jack whooped when we pulled up to large gate. He climbed out of the car, barely remembering to grab the keys, or lock it. I did, hurrying after him.

“No Baggers goan to get in here, _bébé_.”

“Jack, this feels like a baited trap. How about we pass this one by?” Even though I would have loved to sleep in a real bed, the last one having been the captain’s chambers on the shrimp boat, the idea made me uneasy. Still, when Jack took off at a brisk pace up the drive, I had to follow. Slowly, a gargantuan house came into view, awash in lights. The lights were…

“ _Electric_. These lights are electric!”

“Probably a gas generator, _ma belle_. Nuttin’ to worry ‘bout.” I frowned. He was not as he should have been. Suspicious. I know I was.

“One that had to have been filled recently. And why be so wasteful?” Jack hummed his response, moving towards the ornate double doors.

"Jack... Something feels wrong here." The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I tensed. Jack busted the side glass pane, cocking his head to listen for movement. Then he reached around to open the door, tensing for an attack. After he decided one wasn’t coming, he made his way into the house, footfalls silent as he moved. He continued to saunter into the mansion, making me helpless to follow him. We stuttered in the entrance, staring at the resplendence. After regaining our composure, I went back to trying to convince him to leave.

“Why is it so important to you that we stay here?”

“Cause you’ll like it here. Soft girl like you belongs in a place like this.” A little stung at his Cajun zinger, I scowled.

“I’d prefer to shrimp boat.” _And the Jack that was there with me._

“I’ll make a note,” he said in a distracted tone. Each room was more lavish than the last, making my eyes wide. It looked like a Hollywood producer’s pad.

“Trust me, Evie. If dere’s generators and a well, den dat means a hot shower.” It’d been almost a month since I’d had one of those. After spending some mornings puking up whatever I had eaten, I kinda needed one.

“But why be so wasteful? This resources are even more limited than they used to be.” Jack ignored my question again as he made his way up the stairs. I followed, and together we found that each room was decked to the max, and each closet full of designer clothes and shoes. The garage was full of camping supplies, hi-tech survival gear, and a colossal tank of gas. No car, though. Jack left to get ours, to house it here, to keep _our_ supplies safe.

We returned to the kitchen and Jackson opened one of the two refrigerators, stocked full of all kinds of food, things we had to make by hand at Haven. Jack grinned, happy that we would have more food than was in our car.

"Nuttin' bad here,  _fille_. Just  _bon_  tings for us. Look at all dis. We doan ever have to leave."

"But we have to find my grandmother... And get back to Haven, where ever they made it to. Jack, we can't stay here." I started to tug his hand, trying to lead him back to the garage. He turned back to pull me to him and I caught a whiff of whiskey, stronger than usual.

“Jack? Have you been drinking?” Anger sliced through me, as did the sting of hurt.

“Just a little here and dere, Evie. Nuttin’ bad.” His grin was usually contagious, but tonight it hurt.

“Then I’m driving. This place is not safe, Jack. Lights, generators on, _a garage full of gas_?”

“Evie, dey can’t be alive, not at dis hour. Dem Baggers already got ‘em, so we’re _bon_ tonight, _fille_. We are _tr_ _è_ _s bon_.”

“Come here, you.” He groaned at the cold air, then pulled me in front of fridge as well, making me groan as well. I hadn’t felt cold air since before the Flash. “Admit it, dis was worth it, just to feel dat icebox.” We stood there together, my body leaning into him, together feeling the coldness. I felt him move past, grabbing glass bottles.

“Ah, Evangeline, dey got cold long-necks. We are never leaving dis place. _Ever_. Now I’m gonna go look for t’ree bears.” He wandered off, while I looked through the pantries, stocking extra food into our bags. Who knew when we would have to bolt? Then I looked for things to add to dinner. When I found a jar of maraschino cherries, I could barely contained myself. I found a bag of cookies for Jack, knowing he had a sweet tooth he denied himself. I smiled to myself, setting our dinner out on the counter. Jack wandered back in, smiling. I hopped onto the counter.

“Dis place is stocked, Evangeline! We never have to leave!” He’d found more liquor and brought it over to me, grinning wider. I squirmed, a bad feeling in my stomach. _Beware the lures… The Moon rises_. The red witch was getting bolder, whispering to me when the other voices were quiet. I hated her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12-21-15 Okay, wow. I went back and reread the Bringer of Doubt section, bulking up this chapter a lot more. I skipped the Slaver episode, because I'm afraid of Evie losing the baby, plus it was more important to the original story than to this one, I decided. So here's more writing. :3 Enjoy!


	8. The Moon Rises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12-17-15 Hey guys! I started writing again this weekend, while I read some of Kresley's stuff! So I'll be back to finishing this as soon as I can. (I hope GreenThumbTarasova decides to join in too, I miss her work!)
> 
> Also, any French used in my story is specifically France French. I know nothing else. I get some Cajun things, like bon instead of bien, meaning "well" or "good" but for the most part, the rest is lost on me.
> 
> Side Note: This chapter contains material directly from the book, with altered context.

Not too long after our searching was over, the two of us settled on the couch together. I ate cherries and some left over gator meat, while Jack drank, eating a few cherries and pecans. He was more interested in me eating the cherries.

“ _Tu aime les cerises?_ _En ce moment, j’ai envie de quel cerises_.” You like cherries? Now, I have craving for some cherries. I grinned at my Cajun’s innuendos.

“ _Trop tard_.” Too late. “ _Un certain Cajun la prends_.” A certain Cajun took it. His laugh rumbled deep in his chest. Our banter kept up in Cajun, making him relax even more. He finished his beer and chased it with a shot from his flask. Jack stood, holding his hand out to help me up.

“Let’s go see what’s outside, _fille_.” His crossbow was held in one hand, mine in the other. We exited the house through a wall of french doors, leading us out onto a huge screened lanai that was simply incredible. It had an outdoor kitchen and gazebos (in the plural). My mind took a quick mental tally of the wealth this required and it took my breath away. Yes, my family had been rich, but our money was old money, and we never would have had anything like this. Our money sat in antiques, not outdoor kitchens. Jack thought that I would be at home here, but the modernity of it was simply baffling. In our old house, it made sense to live there after the flash. Old wash basins had been returned to use, our porch once again used for shucking corn and shelling peas. Here, you would sit and not be able to use anything without wasting resources. Haven house was open, with tall ceilings and open rooms. This house was closed off with blocky walls in odd places.

I shook my head, dislodging the sadness that started to creep in with thoughts of Haven house. As I did, my eyes caught a sparkle. I tugged Jack towards the sight.

“Evie, what’s de matter wit’—” He fell silent at the sight of a pool, glinting in the moonlight. It was the sparkle that caught my eye. It was a _filled_ pool.

Water. A death trap.

“Dieu,” he muttered, glancing around.

“Why ain’t we swarming with Baggers?” He asked, his voice tense. Fear flooded me again, and I tugged his hand.

“Jack, we have to go!”

“Stay put.” He stalked to the edge of pool, crouching down to stick his hand in the water. After tasting it, he stood with an excited--and aroused?--expression. “It’s saltwater, _bébé_.”

“Then they’d be repelled.” Smart. But…

“And the water’s _warm_.”

“But where would they get all this water?”

“From a well, just like at Haven.”

“But we hadn’t wasted it to _swim_.” The alarm sounded in my head again. “We need to leave, now.”

Instead of listening, Jackson kicked off his boots. Then his shirt followed. Realization dawned on me.

“You are not going in!” He grinned at me and I saw that excited and aroused expression again. “This is foolish, Jack—” In the space of a breath, he started to run at me, dropping low for a tackle. He scooped me up as he vaulted both our asses into the pool.

* * *

I swam furiously to the surface, spitting water as I gasped for air. "Have you lost your mind?!" I coughed, scowling at him. He grinned, murmuring something about roses. I was glad he knew I was angry.

"We are not skinny dipping, Jack! Not when--"

" _Skinny dipping?_ Evangeline and her dirty mind." It was then I noticed he still wore dark boxer briefs. My face flamed, but I saw an idea forming in his head. "I could never deny you anyting, _ange_."

"I'm not all right with this. We should be watching our six."

"Look, I'm not goan to let anyting happen to you--or dat  _bébé_ of ours. I'll hear anyone coming in pleny o' time." I made a noise of discomfort, my eyes glancing around, over everything. Everything in me said  _leave_. "I told you, no one can get a drop on me. Doan you trust me, Evangeline?" I could hurt the slight hurt in his voice. I did trust him, but not this place. I didn't trust the lures.

"You couldn't have let me remove my boots first?" I said in an exasperated tone. Jack moved to help me take them off, a smirk on his face.

"You're right. I should've let you strip  _pour moi._ " I narrowed my eyes. I knew he'd had an angle. 

Instead of indulging him, I pointed behind him. “Oh, look!” Then I swept my hands to splash him hard. He turned back to face with me eyes wide.

“Now you’ve done it! You mess wit’ da bull…” He chased me until I was squealing with laughter, and he was laughing deeply. It felt amazing to pretend to be normal kids again. I heard no one in my head but myself. Thank God.

Just as Jack thought he was going to catch me, I slipped under the water, swimming around to grab his ankles. Pre-Flash, I’d been a terror in the pool, the only place I could get an advantage on Mel’s vicious love.

He sank like a stone, as if I’d tripped him. Once he resurfaced, he looked surprised and delighted at the same time. I’d never gotten to see this playful side of Jackson, even when he’d been relaxed at Haven, it wasn’t like this. I don’t think even he’d gotten to see this side of himself that often, if ever. It’d always been survival, even before the world ended. But now he was _happy_. And it was because of me.

“You’re happy,” I told him, swimming closer. He pulled me into his arms, moving us back against the pool wall.

“I should be. Best day I’ve had in a long, long time,” he rumbled.

“Best day?” I craned my neck to see him, a deep smile on his face.

“I got a _belle fille_ that’s _à_ _moi_ , a _bébé_ on da way that’s just mine, the best sex with the best _fille_ , and a family for us to go back to once our adventure is over.” My heart panged. I gave him everything. I just wish I could give it to him earlier.

“Evangeline, why you sad?” He stroked his knuckle along my cheek and I pressed my face into his hand.

“Just thinking you could have had that earlier and I—”

“ _Arr_ _ête_ , Evie. You know dat’s in da past now. We goan to move forward. _Compris_?"

“ _Comprends_ …” Jack continued to cage me in, my heart quickening. He kisses me in a reverent manner, his hands covering my hips. My arms wrapped around his neck, hands sliding into his thick hair. Our bodies responded, mine arching into his, his hips grinding into mine.

He broke away to kiss my neck, saying against my skin, “ _Tu me fais tourner la tête! Ton parfum sucré, tes secrets…_ ” You make my head spin! Your sweet perfume, your secrets… “Ah, Evangeline, you taste as good as you smell. _Toujours_.” Always.

Jack cupped my face with his callused hands, so that I was looking directly in his dark eyes. His eyes were possessive, dark with passion. “ _T’chauffes mon sang comme personne d’autre…_ ” He whispered in my ear, his hands dipping beneath my shirt, hands gripping my breasts tightly.

I moaned, arching into him.

Soon, passion took hold and Jack lifted me, carrying me out of the pool and towards one of the many gazebos. I laid back, gripping his shoulders, pulling him with me. Jack leaned over me, hands covering every inch of me. I reciprocated, sliding my hand down to grip him tightly, groaning as he growled. He pulled back to grab a condom from the jeans he’d picked up, but then stilled, as if remembering it was pointless now. I giggled, opening my mouth to say something when his hand covered my mouth. His cross bow was in his other hand before he stood, yanking his jeans back on.

“Someone is here…” He murmured, turning to cover me, both for my embarrassment and my safety.

Suddenly, what sounded like a sonic boom went off in my head.

- _BEHOLD THE BRINGER OF DOUBT._ -

I cried out, starting to tumble back, Jack grabbed me, spinning around to point his bow at a shadow.

“Seems I have company,” said a girl as she moved out of the shadows, her own bow raised at us.

A bow? In moonlight? When I saw her completely, my jaw dropped. Standing on the other side of the pool from us was the girl from my visions. The entire world stilled as for a fraction of a second, I saw that red-tinged arched, poised like a goddess in the moonlight.

_She was a Tarot._

“Jack!” I whispered harshly. In Cajun, I told him, “She’s a card. The Moon. I heard her call, which is why I fell, but now it’s quiet. She’s the one who said she had an arrow for me if I interfered.” His body tensed, eyes scanning her body. She wore a black halter, cropped khaki shorts and biker boots. A quiver circled her thigh like freaking Laura Croft.

“What are you two doing in my home?” Her voice was the exact same as her call. Did she hear my call? She looked at me, her eyes widening slightly before she closed herself off, turning back to focus on Jack. _My_ Jack.

“Apologies,” he said, his voice tight. “Didn’t think anyone was here.” He looked like he was about to lose it, anger coming off him in waves. She obviously didn’t see the look promising pain, because she dug what she saw.

In a purring tone, she said, “I’ll drop my bow if you do, handsome.”

He started to lower his bow, before I murmured in Cajun, “ _Non_ , I don’t trust her.”

“ _B_ _ébé_ , we got to pretend we trust her. I’ll watch your six, if you watch mine, Evie,” he replied in Cajun. The girl tensed as she noticed we were having a conversation without her. I gloated inwardly, happy to see her not. 

She moved around the pool, hands out to her sides, to show she’s not gonna pull any fool moves.

“That’s a sweet car you’ve got. Stocked full.”

“Just like your house.” His shoulders straightened, giving away nothing. She brushed her hair back, respect in her eyes.

“I’m Selena Lua.”

“Jackson Deveaux. This here is _ma belle_ , Evie Greene.” He pulled me closer, showing he was taken. I barely noticed. She was one of _Major Arcana._ I needed to talk to her, in private. Maybe she could shed some light on this whole bass-ackwards ordeal.

Selena only briefly glanced my way, with no glimmer of awareness as to who-or what- I was, before her gaze returned to Jack as if drawn by a magnet. “I don’t get many visitors. If you want to, I’m cool with you staying the night here.”

 _I’ll bet you are._ My entire body screamed to leave. To stay the night elsewhere. Jack turned to look at me, seeming to decide something before nodding curtly to Selena. Well, I guess we were staying the night.


	9. Jalousie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains material directly from the book with altered context.

Selena's Arcana call was "Behold the Bringer of Doubt."

Right now, I was awash in it.

"Here you go, Evie. Fresh towels. She placed them on te counter of my luxurious guest suite. "Toiletries are in the cabinet. And there's plenty of hot water, so enjoy!" She smiled, but it made my insides burn, and I knew it wasn't just the baby giving me heart burn.

Why did I intensely not like her?

Earlier, when I'd shaken her hand, her call went LOUD and then silent. Maybe I had to meet up with all the Arcana to get them to shut up and preserve my sanity?  _That'd be nice._

But she was like a marble statue. Her face gave new clues, no tells. Even Jack had a few tells. Her eyes were  _too_ blank. They gave away  _nothing_. Yet, she'd so graciously accepted us into her home, had gone out of her way to be friendly to me, to be kind and generous. In my visions, she'd frightened me. I didn't know which card she was, good or bad, but she'd protected my loved ones. 

I suspected it was based in petty jealousy. Jack payed attention to her, and she payed it right back to him.

Now he was leaning against the bathroom wall, a beer in his hand, barely paying attention to me as Selena chatted about how great it was to see other people, claiming that she was going "stir crazy". 

"An occasion like this calls for a cookout," she declared, making Jack perk up. "I was out hunting earlier, bagged two quails." She turned to me. "Get ready for a feast." 

I gritted my teeth, before smiling. "Thank you Selena, and thanks for the clothes." She'd let me raid her closet for anything I wanted.

"It's nothing, sweetie. Now, come on, handsome. Let's go see your room." Jack seemed to regain himself, scowling slightly.

" _Non_ , Evie and I stay togeder. Dat's my only rule." Selena frowned. She tried again.

"You can enjoy the best view from a suite-in my wing." 

"I'd be alone here?" Jack still didn't look at me and I frowned.

"Oh, you're perfectly safe over here. No Baggers for miles, I cleaned them out a long time ago." She went into detail about her security, but I tuned it out. She was a regular super heroine and I was still mostly  _bonne à rien_.

"It's okay, Jack, I'll be fine over here. You can stay in your own room. Maybe you can actually get some sleep." 

"Let me know if you need anything else, Evie. We'll have dinner out on the lanai in about an hour." I started to say something as Jack turned to leave, but stopped myself. Tears welled in my eyes. I  _hated_ being pregnant. He followed Selena out of the room. 

So much for his insistence that I was his. That we always sleep in the same place.

After they'd left, the voices starting preying on me again. I went to take a shower, hoping it'd bring back memories of the solar showers at Haven, that it'd bring back happy memories. All it did was make me realize that my body was on fire still, that my skin was abraded from his stubble. That all I wanted was him near me.

We'd had something between us, right?  _Right?_ I mean, hell, I was carrying his kid! He'd told me he was mine, forever! That I was it for him! And yet, there he was, leaving me alone, spending time around  _Lara Croft_.

A faint rustling noise caught my attention. I looked down, and my nails were purple and pointed. Rose thorns. Huh. I worked to calm myself, forcing them away. 

I climbed from the shower, remembering Mel's advice. " _You've got to out slut her. On the scale from wholesome to whoresome, you're practically Amish._ " Well not tonight. I pulled on a dark jean miniskirt that was too long. I pulled out my sewing kit, quickly hemming it higher, glad that it was tight over my ass. Jack liked his hands there. I slipped on a blue wrap shirt, knowing I looked best in blue. Underneath I had my matching blue lingerie set. I decided barefoot was best, because none of Selena's shoes fit, and my boots were still wet, and honestly, what was the point?

Looking in the mirror, I smiled. My eyes were bright, my long hair was shiny and clean. I wore tight clothes, knowing Jack would appreciate it. 

This wasn't over. 


	10. Day Lilies for Ma Belle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is under Selena's spell, and he doubts his relationship with Evie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dieu, this chapter was hard. I wrote it, and lost it, twice. It has exact quotes taken from the book, events as well. Most of it is twisted because this time it's from Jack's POV, meaning he has a limited knowledge of Selena's Arcana status, even though Evie told him. He's under her spell, hence all the arm touching. She's keeping him under her spell. One of her powers IS mood manipulation, and I kind of played with that here. (My first attempt was actually the best one I had with all of this.)

**_Jack_ **

 

Out on the lanai, Selena and I were drinking beer and grilling quail. _Dieu_ , it was the best thing I’d smelt since we’d left haven. We were talking about bowstring tensions and the pros and cons for longbows and crossbows. Her eyes danced as she gazed dat me.

She laughed at my joke, lightly running her fingers over the scar on my forearm. The one I’d gotten the night before the Flash. The night _ma belle_ was in my house. I frowned. My face flushed with shame that she’d been in my house, that she’d seen what kind of wealth I lacked. I pulled away from Selena as I remembered everything I’d fought so hard for. Earning my keep in the militia, working hard to prove myself, to make myself worthy of her.

Selena opened another beer, and my concentration was lost. And she said something that made me laugh. Her fingers brushed my arm again.

I hung onto every word as their conversation moved on to motorcycle engine horsepower and tire treads. How could Selena know all that stuff? She was perfect for me. She spoke my language. I wished she’d been there with me right after the Flash. A girl to have my six. Wouldn’t that be nice.

She reached over, taking a drink out of my beer bottle.

Hell, I never wanted to leave. Everything was so perfect. There was warm water and real light and no as and no Baggers and fresh meat to catch. It was like Haven. Haven? It was like heaven. _Aren’t they the same thing?_ a voice whispered to me. With it came more voices.

“Doan you hurt her. She’s become like a _sœur_ to me, so you keep her heart.” _Mes frères_ advice swam to the surface, along with a faint voice “ _Come, touch… But you’ll pay a price._ ”

Another brush against my arm and my thoughts were drawn to Selena again.

“Will you say _back there_ again?” Her voice was breathy and low, and I grinned. I knew my effect on the _filles_. I complied, knowing that Cajun made _filles_ crazy. I knew that it sounded like _bag dere_.

“Cajun is soooo hawt J.D.” The nickname sat uncomfortably around me. I was Jackson to strangers and acquaintances and Jack to only my _podnas_ and Evie. I pulled away again, clearing my throat slightly. It was then that Evie made her way out. She was barefoot, wearing a tight miniskirt and a wrapped blue shirt. It fit her petite frame well. I met her eyes, showing my approval, before moving my eyes over her. When I met her eyes again, they were hard and I smelled roses. _Ah, my_ _bébé is angry at me._ I looked away in shame, knowing that my thoughts had been all wrapped in Selena since we’d gotten here.

“Just in time, Evie. I’ve got everything ready.” Selena detailed the dinner, while I sat forward, staring at the bottle in my hands. I loved Evie. I would never leave her, ever… So why had I thought about staying? Why had Evie been on my mind once since we met Selena?

The questions came to a standstill when I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. Selena was handing Evie a beer bottle. I knew that rules after the Flash didn’t apply, but like hell _ma belle_ was drinking even one beer while pregnant with _mon enfant._

“ _Non_.” My voice was harsh, borderline growl. “She doesn’t get to drink. Low tolerance. One of us should stay sober.” Selena laughed and agreed, saying Evie was too young anyway. “She is only sixteen, after all,” she’d said. Evie’s face heated and the smell of roses thickened.

“Let’s eat. You guys take a seat. J.D., you’re over here.” She pointed to the seat next to her, and I sat. That didn’t set well with Evie, who sat on the other side by herself. She stood, moving her place next to mine, her eyes locked with Selena’s. _Ma belle_ was a soft _fille_ , one that never fought with anyone, one that was friendly to everyone. Yet here she was staring down Selena, a girl who could easily finish Evie off twice over.

Selena just harrumphed, starting to eat. I dug in too, starving. I groaned at the first bite. It was the best food since Haven. That’d been three weeks ago. With the thickening smell of roses, I caught another smell, a new one. I looked over to see Evie not eating, only picking at her plate.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Selena asked her. Evie opened her mouth to answer before I cut in, speaking directly to Evie in Cajun.

“Eat. Now. You don’t have the luxury of pouting and not eating. You got a _bébé_ growing inside of you and that means you goan to eat. This is good food, you doan waste it.” Evie scowled at me, but picked up her fork, forcibly stabbing pieces of food onto it. While she sat next to me, simmering, Selena and I talked about all we had in common. Turns out that was a lot. Soon the smell of day lilies out matched the scent of roses. _Day lilies_. I wondered if that was _jalousie_.

Selena continued to talk about how she was on the track to be an Olympic archer, that she was a decorated motorbike rider.

It was as if she’d been factory made for me. Ga-lee, I’d have given anything to meet a _fille_ like her before the Flash.

She and I kept pounding beers, and it felt good to be a teenager for once. Never really got to be one even before the Flash, so now? It felt great. I could feel Evie’s eyes on me and I turned to look at her. I swear to _Dieu_ that her eyes were green with _jalousie_ and it made me want to grin.

“If you don’t like the quail, I can cook you something else. I’ve got a bunker full of cans, freeze-dried foods and jarred vegetables. Just let me know, honey.” I felt Evie tense up beside me, and the smell of roses was overpowering again.

Ignoring Selena completely, Evie turned to me. “Can I talk to you after you’re done eating?”

“’Bout what?” I hoped she would say that we were staying. I never wanted to leave.

“The trip tomorrow.” Her voice had an edge to it, like she was trying to force me to listen.

“ _Non_. Nothing to talk about.” Evie’s face heated again, following the stifling stench of roses.

“The trip tomorrow? Where are you guys headed?” Selena asked, leaning forward in her chair.

“North Carolina. Outer Banks.”

“J.D. told me you might stay a spell.”

“Did J.D.?” I raised my eyebrows at her, silently challenging her. Her eyes flickered green again and she stood.

“I’d love to stay and chat, but I actually require sleep. J.D., you’re welcome to join me in my room, if you’re not otherwise occupied. Good night.” She strode away from the table, roses and day lilies leaving a trail behind her. My grip tightened on the beer bottle, my knuckles going white.

Silence settled over the table as the food cooled.

“What was that about, J.D.?”

“I was goan to take Evie up to North Carolina to see her _grandm_ _ère ‘_ cause she’s got answers.” My voice was low and gruff. I needed to go after her. I stood up, setting my bottle down on the table.

“Thanks for the food, Selena, but I need to go talk to Evie. Den you and I can talk some more.” Before she could reply, I walked back into the house, following the smell of flowers to find Evie’s room. I was about to knock before I heard the unmistakable hitch of her voice. As if she were crying. _Dieu…_ Tee-Bo was goan to kill me…


	11. Rose Thorns and Rose Glasses

**_Evie_ **

I stalked from the dinner table, fuming. First he treated me like a child, telling me to eat. Then he’d acted indifferent about our trip. He knew the importance of it all. Instead he acted like this was just a casual road trip where we could take any detours we wanted. I wanted to scream and rage, but all I could manage were tears. I grabbed a pencil and paper from my bug out bag, wanting to draw Jack’s face when he looked down at me earlier tonight. I cried as I drew, keeping tears from falling onto the page. I didn’t want them to taint the memory.

The voices slammed into me, chattering like normal. I found that they liked to taunt me, more than talk amongst themselves. I slowly gained more control over them, pushing them further out of the way when I needed alone time.

- _You listen poorly_ \- Matthew. Not now…

- _Matthew, I need some time to myself._ -

- _Arcana grow stronger and you listen poorly. Arsenal, Empress!_ -

- _I know! I’m working on it! All I know is that I can suck life from plants and give it to them with my blood._ -

- _That’s only half of it, Empress. Build your arsenal. Heat of battle._ -

- _Please Matthew, you’re giving me a headache. Can we talk tomorrow?_ -

- _I don’t want to hurt you, Empress. We will talk._ \- And then he was gone. I rubbed my head, groaning quietly.

The door creaked open and I jumped, reaching for the knife I kept at my hip at all times. Leaping up from the chair, I turned to find Jack standing in the doorway with both hands up.

“Woah, _bébé_. _C’est moi._ ” It’s me. I relaxed, still holding the knife in my hand.

“What do you want?”

“To talk to you.” I scoffed, smelling bullshit.

“Why don’t you just go downstairs and talk to Lara Croft and leave me alone.”

“Are you jealous, Evie?” There was a hint of humor in his voice, but I scowled. I smelled roses and I knew it was because I was getting angrier.

“Yes.” Why lie to him? He already knew.

“Why?”

“Because she’s perfect! She can cook, she has this _great_ place, and she can hunt and ride bikes and is _perfect for you_! So just--GO!” I flung my hand at the door, pointing at it. Rose thorns flew at the door, Jack barely dodging them. In horror, I looked at my hands. Instead of stubby fingernails, there were rose thorns. _Fuck_.

“Wh-what the hell, Evie?” Jack looked visibly shaken and I realized that this was the first he’d ever seen of my powers.

“You had to have known I was Arcana. Why else would I have seen those things?” I said dejectedly, sitting heavily in my chair.

“So you are da Empress. Empress Evangeline.” I stared at my hands as my claws changed back into nails. I blinked tears back, waiting for Jack to cross himself and run right into Lara Croft’s arms. Then it was me and this baby against the world…

“Yeah,” was all I said. I could almost hear the wheels in his head grinding, trying to work out what to do next.

“So dat’s what you meant when you said you could protect yourself.” I nodded, slowly losing the battle against the tears. “But did you know anyting about it before hand?”

“No, but I have an idea as to how I can figure it all out…”

“What is it, _bébé_? Tell me and we’ll figure this out togeder, like we supposed to.”

“The dreams… Of the red witch. The nightmares. They show me my powers. Lotus flower, briars, vines, ivy… It shows me how to control all of that.”

“ _Bon_! Then you just keep on dreamin’ and we’ll have your arsenal built up in no time.”

“Except I don’t dream about her when I’m with you.” My voice was quiet as I told him. A chill went through my body when he mentioned arsenal.

“Well why not?”

“I don’t know, Jack! You hurt when you help! That’s all Matthew says about you! But I need you! Even if I weren’t in love you, you are my _only_ chance to figure this whole shit fest out! I need you to keep the voices away, to keep me from becoming that _witch_! Jack, it’s you for me.” I looked at him, tears running down my face. “There will be no one else. But if you aren’t going with me, if you are staying here with _her_ , I need to know now. I need to shut these thoughts down, Jack.” I looked away, choking back sobs.

“ _Non_ , doan cry…” He stepped forward but I put my hands flat on his chest, intending to keep him away. I groaned quietly, curling my fingers lightly as they connected with him. Emotions rolled through me, taking over quickly. I loved Jack, I had since he’d shown interest in my drawings, since he’d pretended I wasn’t as crazy as I actually as. I loved him with all of my heart, regretted keeping him from his Haven, where he actually belonged. And now, I wouldn’t deny him this one.

“I’ll take my stuff, leave you half of the things in the car, and be on my way tomorrow,” I told him, my voice thick, with tears and arousal. “I’ll not bother you anymore…”

“Evie—”

“I’ll send word, somehow, when the baby is born. You guys can come visit us at Haven, where ever that is in the future.” At that, he growled.

“ _Non_ , that _bébé_ is mine too. I’ll be there when it’s born and with it until the day I die. That’s final.”

“Jack, please… I can’t deprive you of the paradise here that I denied you at Haven.” He groaned, his fists clenching and unclenching as his frustration rose.

“Evangeline! I tol’ you. It was my decision to stay away.”

“I told you to never come back!”

“I didn’t come back because I had to kill _ma m_ _ère_!” he yelled, tears gathering in his eyes. My breath caught in my throat, more tears sliding down my face.

“Jack… I didn’t know.” He looked away, fists clenched so hard his hands were white.

“No one did. I didn’t tell nobody for a reason.” Then I remembered that Tee-Bo told me that he found something at Jack’s house that probably kept him away. Now I knew what it was.

“She was a Bagger. She didn’t leave the house, ‘cept to watch the lights. Came back after the doc fixed me up right, saw her on the lawn. It took several times to figure out the head is the only way.” His voice was tight, as he stared at the mark on his forearm. I moved my hands to lightly stroke it, covering it fully with my hand. “She just wouldn’t die… Clotile had to help me get her rosary off.” He briefly touched it. “Then I had to kill _ma m_ _ère_.”

Words refused to form. All I could do was hug him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, clutching him close. His arms slowly came around me, holding me tightly to his chest. I could barely breathe, but it didn’t matter. He needed me close to him and I needed to be close to him. My Jack… Brave and selfless.

“Please tell me you’ll still be with me…”

“Evie, I can’ take you from here… It’s safe here. Food. Another _fille_.”

“Jack, I had that at Haven. I left for a reason.”

“Tell me, _fille_. I need to know.”

“I left… Because these Arcana are more than just pretty things to look at. They are pieces of a game, and I’m one of them. I need to know why. I need to know my purpose, your purpose, _the baby’s_ purpose. I need to know why this whole thing happened!”

“And your answers are in North Carolina.”

“ _Yes_.” He sighed, resigned.

“We’ll stay the night, then reassess tomorrow. Alright, _fille_?” I nodded, relaxing.

“Will you… Will you stay in here with me?” I asked, pulling back to look into his eyes.

“I need to go talk to Selena, about bartering supplies. Maybe she should come with us. We’ll need more protection, the more obviously pregnant you become.”

“Jack, I don’t really think that’s a good idea… I mean, she’s a card, but I don’t know if she’s good or bad.”

“She’s a good person, Evie. Card or no. Is she the one you saw that day on the stairs?” I nodded slowly. “Then she’s protecting the ones you love. You just gotta not piss her off, so she uses that arrow kept for you.” I scowled, starting to get mad at him for his logic.

“She’s not coming with us.”

“I’ll make dat decision, Evangeline Greene.” Now he was being high-handed again. Which I hated.

“And why? This is my mission.”

“And I’m here to protect you.”

“God, Jack! You are not the boss of me!” I had to refrain from stomping my foot.

“Oh?” His eyes darkened and his voice deepened. “I tink I can change your mind.” His hands wrapped around my hips, pulling me to him hard. I ground my hips against him, moaning quietly. Jack’s hip thrust against mine, quickly driving me insane.

“Evie, tell me you want dis.”

“Jack… We shouldn’t…” Still, my body responded to his. Jack growled quietly, shoving me against the wall. He shifted my skirt up around my hips, tugging my shirt up to reveal my braless breasts.

“But you want to…” His voice was deep as he grabbed my breast in his hand, palming it, rubbing his palm against the nipple. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. His other hand pinched the opposite nipple, leaning in to capture my mouth with his. He kissed me until we were both breathless, hips grinding relentlessly, chests heaving together.

“Evie, tell—me—you—want—dis.” He ground his hips against mine with each word.

“Yes! Please, god!” I cried out, unable to withstand anymore. I needed relief. I needed _him_.

He moved his left hand to hold both my wrists above my head, remarking, “Because you said you like me highhanded in bed… And I like your hands high.” He smirked but I bit in his lip, drawing a growl that I loved.

“We’re not in bed, so why would you think I like it, _Jackson_?” His right hand dropped to cup me hard, his palm grinding into my clit. He made me see stars.

“Because you’re already wet. And if I do dis—” his hand squeezed my wrists tighter, pulling them further over my head. “You’ll get wetter.” Sure enough, as his hands squeezed, I jerked and my panties were soaked further.

I cried out before he could cover my mouth with his hand.

“Shh… Don’t let her hear you, _bébé_.” I nodded, and he removed his hand, moving it to a lower position, as he went to kissing my neck. I was dizzy from pleasure before Jack stilled completely. I whimpered faintly, my body is hot and tingly. Selena burst through the door, bow in hand, arrow searching. Jack set me down, tugging my shirt up half way before stepping out to meet Selena.

“ _C’est nous_ , Selena. It’s us.” I walked out from behind the door, my face still flushed slightly.  

“Why did Evie cry out?” Worry seemed etched into her face. I guess she wanted to be the one to kill me. Maybe she thought Jack was actually killing me, instead of doing it with pleasure only. Her eyes scanned me quickly. She tensed before lowering her bow.

“I see. I’ll just leave you two alone.” Her voice was terse as she turned to leave. Jack told me to get ready for bed, that he was going to talk to her. I scowled, pouting slightly. I had never really been possessive of Brandon, but Jack was _mine_ and I’ll be damned if someone was going to take him from me.

“Don’t make the bahbin, _bébé_. I’ll be back, and den I’ll take care o’ you.” He smirked and dragged me closer for a deep kiss. He didn’t pull away until I softened in his arms. “I love you,” he whispered before turning and loping out of the room. I sighed. How was I supposed to tell Jack more about the Arcana with Selena around? How was I supposed to trust her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter has a lot of dialogue??? I just noticed that when I was just skimming over it. This whole chapter is just full of a lot of dialogue??
> 
> Okay, so I might make an outtake where they do get to do the dirty, but I kinda wanted to keep the actual story fairly clean (heh), it just depends on what you guys (mostly MaraAmitraDyer) think!


	12. Secrets et Ènigmes (Secrets and Puzzles)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12-30-15 So I've went back and have started bulking up each chapter, to make each one at least 1000 words, since a few fell really short. Mostly Jack chapters. So here is a longer Jack chapter. I'm still unsure as of where I'm going quite yet (besides in the general direction of Death's door) based on how the story goes, since Matthew is next. But in due time!
> 
> School starts again soon, so my writing may drop back off. But just hold on! I'll get more posted as often as possible.

**_Jack_ **

I stormed down the stairs, barely able to contain my anger. Selena stormed in in the middle of something that I desperately needed with _ma belle_. Now I was horny, hard and pissed off. And confused. Evie had thrown _rose thorns_ at me. Not only that, but her nails had turned into them as well. I’d had an inkling that she was a card, that she might be the Empress. But to see it first hand, directed at _me_ was another thing entirely. So she could take care of herself, but who knew how her abilities would be affected by her pregnancy? It could make them go haywire. Or weaken. _Dieu_ help us all if they strengthen.

“I should have known you two were a thing,” Selena said from the kitchen.

“I never said we weren’t. You just assumed.”

“I thought it was weird that she was so cold. But I should have known. It’s just like her.” I scowled. I didn’t like her talking about Evie like that.

“Do you know Evie?” My voice was tight as I moved to stand across the bar from her.

“I know of her, yes.”

“Because you’re Arcana.” It wasn’t a question and Selena looked stunned. I moved ahead while she continued to stumble with her words.

“Here’s da ting. _Ma belle_ is pregnant, and we need extra help. She said you would protect her loved ones until she got in your way again. Then you would use your arrow kept just for her. So I’m goan to ask you to travel with us to North Carolina.”

“Through slavery _and_ cannibal territory?! You two are crazy!”

“She needs to get to her _grandm_ _è_ _re_ , because she might know everything about this damn thing.”

“Her grandmother is a chronicler?” Her voice changed immediately. Curiosity and wonder were evident.

“I doan know. She woan tell me anyting, because she said she needs to know everyting before she’ll gimme a lick of information.”

“What do I get in return for this?”

“ _Ma fille_ and I set up a life back in Louisiana, on a plantation called Haven. She grew plants, and lived a good life. You help us to North Carolina and back, you can come stay on at Haven. Dere’s over four hundred people dat live with her _mère_ and family. You—”

“ _Four hundred people_? How the hell did that happen?”

“She and I solved de mystery of her visions and so we prepared everyone in t’ree counties. Most of dem lived and dey came to Haven to combine resources and help. Dey had fresh food _every day_. Dere’s still food in da bayou, meat to be caught. Honestly, we could use someone like you at Haven in da future.”

“Holy hell…” Selena just stared at me as I continued to tell her about Haven.

“So will you help us?” I finally asked after I’d talked Haven up quite a bit. It made me miss it like an ache, though. I missed _mes podnas_ and the food. I missed knowing Evie was safe.

“I will help you.” I felt there was a “but” to that sentence, but it never came. It would later.

“Now, onto da damage _ma fille_ is in. A group of soldier are following us. Dey have a card called da Lovers, and dey’re after Evie in a bad way.” Selena’s face blanched and my heart dropped into my stomach. I knew they were bad, but her face confirmed it.

“Dey’re worse dan I can imagine, aren’t dey?”

“They can’t get ahold of any of us, ever. If they do, we might as well be dead. You’ve heard of Nazi experiments? They’re family has always been heavily sadistic and into the medical field. Their call “We’ll love you, in our own way.” is a warning. Their own way means horrible pain… They love to tease and taunt and torture. We need to put as much distance between us and them as possible as _soon_ as possible.” Fear for Evie’s safety made me make a snap decision.

“Den we leave tonight.”

“I’ll supplies together.”

“Quickly. Pack warm clothes, hiking boots, lots of socks and undergarments. Canned food, anyting dat will last a long time. Go!” I turned and raced up the stairs to get Evie. When I burst into her room, she was already laying on the bed, in the middle of a nightmare. I knew that meant she was learning, but it hurt my heart to see her so terrified. I grabbed her bug out bag. She was already dressed for tomorrow. No pajamas anymore.

I threw her pack over my shoulder alongside mine before picking her up, holding her close to me.

“Evie, we have to leave. Da Lovers are worse dan we tought. Selena is going wit’ us, to protect you from North Carolina and back,” I told her as I headed to the garage, where the car was parked. I settled her inside, a pillow beneath her head. Then I started rearranging the car. I was taking that industrial gas tank with us. I emptied our other cans into it, only keeping one to actually fill the car with, before fitting it into the car. I moved one backseat up, making room for Selena. We’d been on the road almost a month, so there was room for more supplies, plus her bug out bag.

After ten minutes, Selena was ready to go. She ran into the garage, briefly gaping at our supplies. Then her face shifted to impassive and she placed the boxes of things into the car. Then she followed, climbing into the back seat, behind Evie. Then we were ready to go.

“What are you going to do about dis house?” I asked as I drove towards the front gate.

“It’ll be there for whoever stumbles across it. I don’t care. It wasn’t my house anyway. It was my aunt’s. She knew about the coming game, and set it up for me.” My teeth clenched. Of course, she didn’t have to lift a hand to make her life after the apocalypse.

“I thought I was going to be alone forever. Then I saw your car. I saw _you_. Maybe I had chance. Then I saw Evie, and I knew she was the Empress. But you weren’t Arcana, and you weren’t dead or under her thrall, so I guessed she didn’t know exactly what she was capable of. I knew I’d be safe for now.”

“Is the Empress dangerous?” I looked at Evie as she slept and I frowned. I knew she had thorns, _literally_ , but Evie could never hurt another person.

“In the last game, yes. In the one before that, not as much. It all depends on how their lives go. Obviously this Evie was raised without any influence of the game. So she must be safe. Have you ever seen her use her powers?”

“Twice. Once tonight when she was angry, and once right before we left Haven. She drained twelve oaks around her house. She was… _cruel_ to me, laughing at me. But her laugh was mean and she hid her hands. I guess she was hiding her thorns…” I shook my head as I remembered her. Her eyes looked green then, and her hair looked strawberry blonde. _The red witch_. She was the red witch, or used to be. That was still confusing, but now I knew something else about Evie. But what else was she hiding from me?


	13. Crazy Coo-yôns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna go back to Arthur for a bit (probably the next chapter), because there are only three places where she talks to Arthur, and one of them is where the story catches up to how she got there. I'm gonna do it from Evie. Arthur if I feel confident and get enough material built up. Switching characters is tricky business. Capturing their voice is hard. Anyway, here goes! Enjoy!

**_Evie_ **

I jerked awake from another dream of the red witch. My hand clenched the handle on the door in the car and I—wait, the car? Why was I in the car? My head whipped around to look at Jack, who was staring straight ahead. He turned when he felt my eyes on him and he smiled gently.

“ _Bon matin_ , _fille_ ,” he said, his voice low and gruff. Good morning, girl. I smiled back, but was still confused.

“Jack, where are we? Why are we in the car? Did I sleep through the morning?” I turned to look out the window, frowning as the sun was high in the sky. Why didn’t I wake up with Jack?

“ _Non_ , we left last night. Da Lovers are too close on our tail. Not taking a chance wit you, _non_. So we left.” I scowled.

“Why didn’t you wake me up? I could have helped.”

“You needed de sleep. You gotta know dem tings about your arsenal. You need to dream to do dat, _ouais_?” Damn him for being so perceptive.

“ _Ouais_ ,” I agreed reluctantly. I heard a small sigh from the backseat and I turned around quickly, my seatbelt jerking hard against my chest.

“What the hell is she doing here?!” Gone was the polite Southern girl, replaced by a pissed off pregnant girl.

“I tol’ you, she was goan to come wit us. Dat was no question.” He glared at me, and the look in his eyes told me to be polite, even though I just wanted to rip her throat out. She made a move on _my_ Jack. _You could take her out now… Gain her mark and leave Jack as yours_ , the witch whispered. I scowled deeper, ignoring the witch’s command.

“I don’t trust her,” I said in Cajun, knowing Selena won’t understand a word.

“ _J’connais_. But I do, so dat’s final, _fille_.” I threw my hands up in frustration, barely holding back the scream that rose up in my throat.

Time dragged on slowly now. There was no more sexy banter with Jack and I, no more playful teasing, or discussing Arcana, unless it was in Cajun. After a while of Cajun, Selena bitched, “It’s rude to speak a language around someone who doesn’t understand it.”

She was right, but I was content to continue to speak Cajun around her. It made me feel better that I still had privacy.

“Sorry, Selena, but it’s habit o’ mine. Grew up in da bayou, learned to speak only in Cajun. Den you go to school and dey tell me, _only English_ , so I learn. _Mais_ , I only speak Cajun around Cajunland folk.”

“ _Evie_ is ‘Cajunland folk’?” Jack grinned, looking at me.

“Ouais. She is. She’s mine, so she’s Cajunland. She speaks _fran_ _ç_ _ais cadienne_ , she has the hot blood of one and she got my _bébé_ inside her. Dat’s enough for me.” I looked in the rearview mirror, slightly happy to see Selena scowling, arms crossed.

Silence stretched again, awkward now. I needed something to do with my hands.

“Jack, we need to find a fabric store. We’ll need it, as much as we can fit into the car.”

Suddenly my easy going Jack went rigid.

“ _Fille_ , you know sourcing ain’t easy. Why do we need dat?”

“For the baby. I need blankets, clothes, socks, hats. If it’s gonna get cold fast, they’re gonna be born right in the middle of it. Babies have to be kept warm.” His jaw ticked as he thought.

“Fine. We’ll find one. Selena, be on the lookout.”

“Joann’s would be best. There’s a million of them across the South,” I offered, trying to help.

“You take what I find, Evangeline.” This time he used my full name to express anger, just like I did with his. _Shit_.

I reached for his hand and he pulled away. _Ouch_.

“Jack…”

“ _Non_ , not now,” he responded in Cajun. I turned towards the window, barely choking back tears. I knew I was overreacting, but I suddenly felt the urge to cry. _Stupid hormones._

- _Empress._ \- _Matthew._

- _What is it, honey?_ \- I could already feel the headache.

- _Need to talk to you_.-

- _Matthew, you won’t believe it, but one of the arcana is here. The Bringer of Doubt_.-

- _La Luna. She’s the Moon Card. The Archer_.- 

- _Meeting her was wild. I heard her call so clearly, then poof, her voice in my head went silent. And when we first met, I saw something flash over her, like a picture of her from my visions_.-

- _Tableau. A card. How we recognize each other. But Evie_ …- I frowned. His voice was stronger than usual, my migraine less prevalent. 

- _So, is the Moon good? Or evil, like Ogen?_ \- I wanted him to say worse, so I could get my family as far from her as possible.

- _Good or evil? She’s the Moon._ \- He sounded confused by my question. Maybe the cards didn’t have inherent traits like that. - _Empress, we need to talk_ …-

- _What’s up?_ \- I sat up, going to grab my notebook to write what he said when the car disappeared.

“Matthew?” I was no longer sitting in the tense car. I found myself standing with Matthew in his basement playroom, but water was rising around our ankles. His khaki pants and long-sleeved button-down were soaking wet. He was shivering.

A flashlight swung on a nearby wall, illuminating his face. His face and hair were dripping, his brows drawn together. I’d know he had even features and deep brown eyes, but now I could see lighter flecks in his eyes. He was lean, but almost as tall as Jackson.

“Why are we down here and where’s all this water coming from?” There must still be a reserve near him. We needed to find it.

“Tremors. Pipe burst. Water tower.”

“Then the whole place is flooding.” He nodded and panic rose in my throat.

“Matthew, you have to leave this room immediately!”

He remained motionless, like a dog that had been commanded to sit in the middle of a busy freeway. “Can’t.” He looked so pitiful, so lost, his brown eyes darting across the room. I knew he was seeing everything, all the possible futures at that moment.

“Get out _now_ ,” I ordered him, wishing I could shake his shoulders. I felt so protective of him, it stunned me.

Toys and beanbags floated past us as the water steadily rose. “Can’t,” he repeated. “I locked myself in.”

“Why did you do that?! You know your basement is flooding!”

“Mother knows best. Mother knew I wouldn’t stay in the car, left me at home. Pipe burst, Bagger swarm, mother no more. Only place to hide is basement. Shouldn’t have fixed engine. Bad, Matthew, BAD!” His hands hit his forehead and I wanted to make him stop, but I had to focus on getting him out.

“There has to be a way out!”

“Clock stops. Don’t have to see the future to know that.”

“What does that mean? Like, you’ll die?” The idea rocked me. My little brother, the one I’d claimed, was going to die if I couldn’t reach him in time.

“Mother’s dead. I follow.”

“ _No_. I’m coming for you! Where are you?” _Please be close enough for me to reach in time._

He gave me a sad smile. “I’ve always been on your way.” Then I remembered. Huntsville, Alabama. One state over, but all the way up north.

“Matthew, how long ago did the flooding start?”

“Couple of hours.” So… Roughly one foot every two hours? Maybe?

“Alright, then I’m coming for you, kid. Just hang on!”

The vision faded and I jerked up right.

“Jackson! We have to go north the Huntsville, Alabama! Matthew is dying—water pipe burst and now it’s flooding. It’s Bagger city, so he can’t leave.” Jack gave me a dark look, and I looked back at him with a pleading look in my eyes. “I can’t live without this kid, Jack,” I added in a soft voice. “I won’t make it long in this world without his help.”

“I must be just as _coo-yôn_ as you!” he yelled, jerking the car around, driving the other direction.

“What about me?!” Selena sniped, obviously not liking the lack of discussion between the three of us.

“Oh, shut up,” I threw over my shoulder before focusing on Matthew. _That felt **good**_.


End file.
